5 Things To Do With A Can of Tuna

Dear BA Foodist, I’m trying to make the most of what I have in my cupboard, which happens to be a lot of canned tuna. I’ve overdosed on tuna salad. Got any other ideas?Molly NicksAustin, Texas

Dear Molly,A few months back, I decided to take the “Week Without Shopping” challenge led by eGullet, an online food message board. The rules were basic: Make a week’s worth of meals using only what you had in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. The goal was simple: Save money and clean out all those forgotten ingredients. I went even further, trying for two weeks. Everything went well until I came to the seven cans of American Tuna (americantuna.com), pole-caught wild albacore tuna packed in San Diego. I quickly e-mailed my friend and chef Chris Cosentino of Incanto in San Francisco to request his bright ideas. He sent me five simple but smart recipes. My favorite, spaghetti with tuna, is below. Inspired by the success of that dish, I’ve asked four of my favorite chefs for canned tuna recipes. Here are all five recipes.

(*Note: All of the recipes call for high quality tuna packed in olive oil or, in the case of America Tuna brand mentioned above, natural fish oil. Substitutions discouraged.)

Chris Cosentino’s Spaghetti with Canned Tuna (Incanto, SF)Open a can of high-quality tuna and heat its oil in a skillet over mediumheat. Mix in garlic, parsley, and lemon peel. Add tuna, gently breaking itup, and add a pinch of dried crushed red pepper. Toss the tuna with al dentespaghetti and enough pasta cooking liquid to moisten. Top with toastedbreadcrumbs and herbs. No cheese necessary.

Donald Link’s Preserved Tuna Crostini with Fried Borlotti Beans, Celery, and Mint (Cochon, New Orleans)Open a can of high quality tuna, drained of oil. To make bagna cauda: mash together 2 cloves of garlic, zest and juice of one lemon, one anchovy, and one teaspoon of fresh rosemary in a mortar or food processor and add 2 tablespoons of Sherry vinegar and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix bagna cauda with tuna and 1/2 medium red onion finely diced. Season with salt andpepper. Spread the mixture on top of the crostinis (12 to 16 slices of grilled bread like ciabatta). Mix together 1 cup cooked borlotti beans (aka cranberry beans) deep fried*, 1/4 cup fresh mint julienned, and 1 stalk of celery sliced thin and season with salt. Top crostinis withthis mixture.

*To make fried beans: fry in a medium sauce pan in about 2 inches of oil at 350F for about 2 minutes. You can substitute red beans or garbanzo beans. They should be slightly overcooked and dry so they will fry crispier. If you’re subbing canned beans be sure to rinse them off first and dry thoroughly.

Laurent Gras’s Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (L20, Chicago)“Local Style” Hawaiian macaroni salad comes in a scoop on a typical plate lunch. I love it. The basic recipe is cooked elbow macaroni, fresh grated carrot, chopped green onion, and mayonnaise. The proportions are not really important. I add frozen peas that I rinse under water to thaw and let drain in a strainer. I also add a can of good quality tuna. I like Italian-style packed in olive oil. Mix everything together and keep it in the fridge for all day and night snacking.

Alex Raij’s Piquillos Rellenos de Bonito (Txikito, NY)Take eight canned piquillo peppers and trim off the last quarter inch to even them out, reserving the trim and juices from the tin*. In a saute pan, sweat minced carrot and leek (about 2 tablespoons each) in olive oil with salt until tender. Dice the piquillo trim and add to the warm carrot and leek mixture. Add reserved Piquillo juices. Add sliced scallion and pinch of dry marjoram or fresh thyme. Add 2 teaspoon Sherry vinegar and fold in a can of good quality tuna with its packing oil. bring to a simmer and pour mixture into a fine mesh colander fitted over a container to catch the vinaigrette. Stuff previously trimmed peppers with the tuna mixture and serve warm or chilled with reserved vinaigrette spooned over top.

*Piquillo peppers are roasted and peeled sweet red peppers from Navarra, Spain available canned at specialty food stores. If you must substitute any roasted and peeled sweet pepper of similar size but do not use the packing juices as they usually taste like preservatives.

Add fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and garlic paste (made by finely chopping fresh clove and smashing it into a paste) to taste to your favorite mayonnaise; season with fresh pepper. Mix mayo and veggie/tuna mixture together until well incorporated. Taste. Add salt if necessary.

Grill two slices of sourdough bread until lightly browned. To assemble, top one slice of bread with a slice of ripe tomato and smoosh down a scoop of tuna salad. Top with slices of Parmesan cheese and broil until nice and toasty. Before serving open-faced, top with a few fresh basil leaves. If you want some more greens, lightly toss some frisée or your favorite greens drizzled with olive oil, a squirt of fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Serve immediately.